Kingsbury offers rural living or village life in Hudson Falls
Kingsbury is a mostly rural town with the well-known Hudson Village in its southwestern corner. “It’s absolutely beautiful. The nice thing about it is it’s the far west of Washington County, so it’s adjacent to the Glens Falls metropolitan area and Queensbury,” says Lisa Ostrander, a licensed associate broker with Howard Hanna Real Estate who has sold homes here for 20 years. “So that makes it very easy to be near the cities and big towns and shopping and such, but being kind of in a rural area.” Hudson Falls itself is a little spread out but still walkable, while residents who choose to live even just outside the village often have sprawling acreage; working farms are common out here, and many residents have smaller homesteads or at least own chickens. Hudson Falls’ proximity, though, ensures that even Kingsbury’s rural corners are only about a 10-minute drive from essentials.
Restaurants and shops along Route 4 and Route 32
As Kingsbury’s heart, Hudson Falls is full of locally owned businesses. Both longtime staples, Ginny Rae’s Diner has an all-day breakfast menu and the Adirondack Seafood Co Restaurant is known for its clam chowder and fish fry. Other established restaurants include DeNatale’s and Mullen’s Pub, but new restaurants are popping up. Ostrander says an old bank was just turned into The Heisman Court Grill, opened right across from the relatively new Falcons Brew House.
The Strand Theater is also an essential part of life here. “It was opened in 1923, and then they raised funds in 2016 to renovate it and bring it back to its original glory,” Ostrander says. Ongoing renovations happen in stages, so performances, which range from Shakespeare plays to concerts, continue to be held in the 350-seat theater. Locally owned shops range from used bookstores to a popular tattoo parlor. Hannaford offers groceries right in town, and Market 32 is under a mile from Hudson Falls. Local farms provide access to fresh produce and meat.
A mix of historic and newer homes in the village and country
Many people are drawn to Kingsbury for its land, even if they don’t plan to farm or keep animals. Most of its more rural homes sit on at least an acre. Historic farmhouses are common, but there are also ranch-style homes and New Traditionals, as Ostrander says that some people are building new houses on empty lots. Fixer-uppers start as low as $140,000, but most homes start closer to $250,000. Homes with extensive acreage can climb sell for up to $800,000.
Hudson Falls’ smaller lots have a concentration of old Victorians alongside colonials, Cape Cods and ranch-style homes. Streets are much more suburban; they’re often tree-lined, don’t always have sidewalks. Hudson Falls houses come with a village tax, but smaller lots mean prices typically stay between $130,000 and $350,000.
A summer concert series and the Adirondack Balloon Festival
Residents gather in Juckett Park for free summertime concerts. During the Adirondack Balloon Festival, people converge on Kingsbury to watch the hot air balloons rise into the sky from the Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport — or to catch a ride on the balloons themselves, which take off early in the morning and just before sunset. “The balloon festival is awesome,” Ostrander says. “People get up early in the morning to watch.” There’s even an event called Moonglow, where the balloons light up for a stationary, ground-based show. People also flock to the festival for live music, food vendors and games.
Career prep at Hudson High
The Hudson Falls Central School District, which Niche gives a B-minus, serves the village and most of Kingsbury. Children begin their education at Margaret Murphy Kindergarten Center, which has a B, before moving on to the C-plus-rated Hudson Falls Primary School for first through third grade. Hudson Falls Intermediate School teaches fourth and fifth grades and earns a B-minus. Hudson Falls Middle School has a C-plus and Hudson Falls High School has a B-minus. The high school’s career and technical education program has over 20 programs covering fields like welding and early childhood education.
Athletic spaces, Kingsbury Community Pool, nearby hiking
Derby-Moran Park has playgrounds and athletic spaces, and the Hudson Falls Little League hosts frequent games. Although residents boat or kayak on the Hudson River, swimming in this part of it isn’t recommended; instead, people cool off at the Kingsbury Community Pool during the summer. The Canalway Trail, called the Empire State Trailway within Kingsbury, is a paved path for walks, bike rides or runs alongside the water of the area’s locks. “If you’re into hiking, or snowshoeing, or snowmobiling or fishing or swimming or museums, there’s just so much up here,” Ostrander says. The Richwood Golf Club is scheduled to open in spring 2026.
A short drive to Glens Falls along Route 4 and Route 32
U.S. Route 4 and state Route 32 connect Kingsbury to nearby communities like Glens Falls, which is about 8 miles away and offers additional amenities like Glens Falls Hospital. The Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport doesn’t have commercial flights, but Albany International Airport does about 53 miles away.
Lingering impacts from General Electric factories
Contaminants from General Electric’s two factories, which dumped toxic polychlorinated biphenyls into the Hudson River from 1947 to 1977, remain in the river, the ground around the now-defunct factories and some groundwater. Drinking sources aren’t impacted, but swimming in the river isn’t recommended and residents should never eat any fish they catch here.
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Christina Norwood
